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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · temple · root · bat · stand · hand · squash · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. squash — to crush
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. root — of a word
  6. bat — the animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. swing — music
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. hand — in cards
  12. swing — to play on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — the cause
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hand — help
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com